Originally posted by Popeye, from posts on an earlier version of the forum.

From NRAJOE

What do you do now that you have found a little plastic tag with a bunch of numbers and German writing on it under your butt plate? If you want to try and make contact with the previous owner......

1. Determine the individuals name. The last name is most often listed first, then the first name. Vorname=Last name

2. Determine the street name. They usually end in "str." Strasse=Street but not always.

3. Determine the town/city name and Canton (district in Switzerland abbreviated by 2 letters).

4. Now go to http://www.tel.search.ch for the Swiss phone book and type in your info. Hit "suchen" and hopefully you will get a list of names. You can send a cover letter to all the names listed and hope to get a reply from the "correct" name. It costs about .85 cents postage per letter.

Most of the Swiss speak German and many speak English so write your letter in English. If the previous owner can't speak English odds are he knows someone who can.

There are often other things on the tag. The soldiers age, company and battalion, division etc. Ask him about those in your letter. A photo or copy of the tag and rifle will immediately let the gentleman know what this strange letter from the USA is about whether he speaks English or not.

If you get a letter back and it's in German you can find many online translators with a google search.

And we have several sample letters in german and french as most older Swiss guys do not speak english, they mostly do speak only one or more of their own four native languages.

Writing a letter to someone you want a favour from in a foreign language that people can't read is kind of impolite and there is a pretty good chance that it ends in the waist basket. Best is to add a copy of your letter in english.

Imagine how you would respond if you would get a letter from a complete stranger to you in say russian, you would see it as scam no ?

For the younger generations this has become different, thanks to tv and video games they get to learn english pretty easy.